COFFEE NEWS

The researchers found that coffee intake and the CYP1A2*1F genotype predict breast size in young women. They studied healthy premenopausal, non-hormone women and among those who drink 3+ cups per day of coffee , smaller breast size was associated only with C-allele carriers (P_interaction=0.02), which they stated is consistent with reports that coffee protects only C-allele carriers against breast cancer.

So, smaller breasts mean less breast cancer and coffee means smaller breasts.   

“Drinking coffee can have a major effect on breast size,” said Jernström.  She previously studied the link between breast cancer and coffee and the results showed that the effect of coffee varies depending on which variant the women have of CYP1A2, which codes for an enzyme that metabolizes both estrogen and coffee. Half of the women had a variant called A/A, while the others had either A/C or C/C.

“Those women who had one of the C variants, and who had drunk at least three cups of coffee a day, developed breast cancer considerably more seldom than women with the A/A variant with the same coffee consumption. Their cancer risk was only two thirds of that of the other women.”

She stresses, however, that it is too early to make any dietary recommendations regarding coffee consumption.

Article: H Jernström, M Henningson, U Johansson and H Olsson, ‘Coffee intake and CYP1A2*1F genotype predict breast volume in young women: implications for breast cancer’, British Journal of Cancer; doi: 10.1038/sj.bjc.6604687

Source: http://www.scientificblogging.com/news_releases/more_coffee_means_less_breast_cancer_smaller_breasts

Source: http://www.gilkatho.com.au/news/default.asp?cmd=view&articleid=703

A cancer-causing toxin has been found in some popular coffee beans distributed here, according to the Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA), Wednesday.

It said seven out of 210 brands of coffee beans sold here contained ochratoxin, a toxin caused by fungus growth on various foods. Contamination can occur before or after harvesting and during the packaging and storage process if there is sufficient oxygen, heat and moisture.

Among the brands containing the harmful toxin are Trinidad Coffee’s Hawaii Kona Blend with ochratoxin levels of 4.8 parts per billion (ppb), Mocha Mattari (4.2 ppb) and Mcnulty (1.6 ppb).

The European Union has set its standard below 5 ppb and Italy has set it on 4 ppb, but Korea has not set its own yardstick.

“If someone drinks more than seven cups of coffee a day, which is not unusual for youngsters, the substance could cause serious health trouble,” Rep. Lim Doo-sung of the governing Grand National Party said. “As they are popular brands here, the amount of products sold is huge.”

Authorities plan to set a standard for the ochratoxin this month. KFDA spokesman Park Sun-hee said, “Considering the amount of actual amount of coffee beans used for a cup of coffee, one needs to drink 660 cups a day for it to affect one’s health.”

Ochratoxin is categorized as a “possible class 2B” carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) under the World Health Organization, and can cause nervous and respiratory system problems as well as triggering cancer.

Source: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/10/117_32379.html

Ever feel guilty when you drink that morning cup-o-joe? Well, here’s a reason to enjoy your coffee instead.

 

 

A new study just published in the Annals of Internal Medicine suggests that those people who regularly indulge in their favorite coffee beverage may live longer than those who don’t.

The authors of this study reviewed data from two large ongoing studies that have followed health professionals over more than 20 years, including their dietary habits — the Nurses’ Health Study, and, the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. What they found was that people who drank at least five to seven cups of coffee per week had a significantly lower overall risk of dying from any cause compared to those who did not drink coffee; people who drank 4-5 cups per day or more seemed to have the strongest protection.

The effect was usually stronger in women than in men, and most of the reduction in death was due to a reduction in cardiovascular disease. Women who consumed coffee in this study also had a small reduction in the risk of diabetes as well as chronic liver disease, including cirrhosis of the liver.

Why might coffee be beneficial? In this study, people who drank decaf coffee benefited as much as those who drank the “rocket fuel,” suggesting that there is something else in coffee besides the caffeine that is beneficial to our health. We do know that coffee is high in polyphenols — plant chemicals that are known to reduce inflammation. Polyphenols also have other positive effects on the heart, blood vessels, and blood sugar:

• They help to relax blood vessels, which can also lower blood pressure.

• They act as anti-oxidants and may help to reduce blockages in the arteries.

• They seem to improve glucose tolerance and utilization, thus reducing the risk of diabetes.

In addition to the polyphenols in coffee, the caffeine itself also seems to have benefits, including:

• Reducing the risk of diabetes.

• Thinning the blood by reducing platelet stickiness.

• Relaxing the airways in people with asthma which can improve asthma symptoms.

• Reducing the risk of gallstones and gout.

• Reducing the risk of Parkinson’s disease (greatest benefit seen with 1-3 cups of coffee per day).

• Possibly reducing the risk of some cancers, including cancers of the liver, colon, and esophagus.

And, lest you head to your nearest Starbucks to start pumping the caffeine, we do want to mention a few caffeinated risks:

• More than 200 mg of caffeine per day can increase the risk of miscarriage.

• Excessive caffeine may increase blood pressure, anxiety, and insomnia.

• Unfiltered coffee can increase your blood cholesterol levels, so use a filter when you brew.

• Caffeine increases the loss of calcium in the urine; if you have osteoporosis, it’s probably best to keep your caffeine intake under 300 mg/day, or take an extra calcium tablet for each cup of coffee you drink.

Source: http://www.timesleader.com/living/Coffee_has_its_07-08-2008.html

Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) posted new information about acrylamide in food and ways that we can reduce our intake of it. Yikes — has another strange chemical found its way into our foods? Apparently not. Read on.

In 2002, researchers in Sweden found the chemical acrylamide in a variety of carbohydrate-rich foods that are fried or baked at high temperatures. In large doses, this chemical has caused cancer in laboratory animals.

In response to concerns about the potential risk, the FDA began to analyze a variety of U.S. food products for acrylamide. Here’s some of what they’ve found so far:

• Acrylamide forms from sugars and an amino acid (asparagine — a building block of protein) found naturally in foods that are fried, roasted or baked. This chemical is more likely to increase the longer foods are cooked with these methods, and the higher the temperature. Boiling or steaming of the same foods do not typically result in acrylamide formation.
• Plant foods such as potatoes, grain products (breads and breakfast cereals, cookies), and coffee are mentioned in the FDA release. Various forms of these foods are typically fried, baked or roasted. They do point out that acrylamide is not typically found in raw plant-based foods, dairy, animal foods (poultry, meat) or seafood.

Hmm … it seems to me that mankind has been baking and frying foods at high temperatures for a long time. And haven’t plant foods including grains, potatoes and coffee been staples? What to do?

The FDA discusses specific foods that are larger sources of acrylamide: French fries, potato chips, breakfast cereals, cookies, toast, and coffee. They do not recommend eliminating these foods from the diet. But, they’ve come up with some suggestions for a few of these items — namely potatoes, bread and coffee.

For potatoes, boiling or microwaving produces no acrylamide. Frying leads to highest acrylamide formation followed by roasting, then by baking. The darker the potato, the more acrylamide — so avoid cooking until dark brown. They have found that slicing potatoes and soaking them for 30 minutes before frying or roasting reduces acrylamide formation. Interestingly, storing potatoes in the refrigerator can increased formation of acrylamide during cooking.

For bread, if you toast it, toast to a light brown color and avoid “very brown areas.”

For coffee, the FDA scientists have not found good ways to reduce acrylamide formation since the beans are roasted before brewing. (I hope that these scientists are working hard on this!)

My take? This acrylamide issue is something that will stay on my radar. There seems to be a commitment to continue research on this. From a practical standpoint I agree with the FDA — it’s too early to eliminate a whole class of food (grain products), potatoes, and coffee from my diet. There are a few simple things I can do however.

I’ll choose less processed cereals, and ones that I can cook (like oatmeal) more often. Toast — light brown. I’ll continue to limit those French fries and chips (and entirely stop eating the brown crunchy ones). More often I’ll boil or microwave the spuds and definitely take those taters out of the fridge (store them in a cool dark place). Maybe a lighter roast coffee.

It seems like almost every day more and more alerts like this come out. I’m reassured that they seem to reinforce similar messages: vary the diet, eat fewer highly processed foods, emphasize plant foods.

Source:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/acrylamide/MY00062

Ethiopians were the first to cultivate coffee trees. They were also the first nation to notice the bracing effect of the coffee beans. But the idea of “a cup of coffee” was unfamiliar to them. They did not drink, but ate coffee at those times. They fried coffee beans in boiling fat and served them as an appetizer.

	Decaffeinated coffee may cause cancer (ko-fe.com)

Thanks to Arabs we now have coffee in Europe – it was them who began to export coffee there. Europeans liked the beverage. However, coffee as a drink has been drawing criticism since then. There were times when the church ranked coffee drinking as a mortal sin. Nevertheless, contemporary scientists do not consider coffee to be quite safe. But now the majority of scientists agree that the main thing for every fan of this hot drink is to stay within limits, and then coffee will be of no harm healthwise.

Coffee beans contain such micro- and macro elements as iron, iodine, magnesium and phosphorus, which provide harmonious body functioning.

Long ago people knew that caffeine stimulates the activity of the central nervous system, increases the capacity for work and improves cerebration. One or two cups of coffee are enough to concentrate and get ready for work. But coffee has a downside if you drink it on an empty stomach, American scientists say.

Coffee is also a good euphoriant. Thanks to serotonin (mood enhancer) coffee acts as antidepressant. One cup of coffee a day is enough to halve the risk of depression. Probably, it is connected with the fact that coffee boosts sexual activity. Historians claim that in the 16^th century coffee helped elderly Constantinopolitan sultan Suleiman restore the lost interest in his harem. Happy sultan ordered to import coffee in plenty. Contemporary scientists agree that caffeine improves sexual potency of men and extends sexual activity of women over 50.

Scientists consider that two or three cups of coffee a day would be of no harm to your health. Approximately four cups of coffee a day are quite appropriate, dietitians say. But the excess of the stated dose can have negative consequences.

Caffeine increases heart rhythm and enhances pressure. Therefore, hypertensive people shouldn’t abuse the bracing beverage. In addition, people drinking more than six cups of coffee a day increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases by 70 percent.

Coffee can be dangerous to bones, it makes them more fragile. Caffeine washes calcium out of the body and blocks its digestion. About 40g of calcium can recompense one cup of coffee. So, coffee drinkers should eat more dairy products, fish and leafy vegetables.
Pregnant women should avoid coffee to decrease a possibility of miscarriage and growth impairment of the fetus. But that does not mean that caffeine should be completely excluded – one cup a day is not injurious at all.

Of course, insomniacs should not fall on the coffee. Do not drink coffee at least six hours before going to bed if you want to sleep sound.

Many people believe that coffee beans contain much more caffeine than instant coffee granules. In truth the difference is not so big. One average cup of non-instant coffee contains about 80mg of caffeine, whereas a cup of instant coffee – 60mg. To reduce the content of caffeine you should pour some ground coffee with boiling water, bring to the boil and fill the cups with it at once. This method keeps the flavor, and, at the same time, the beverage contains less caffeine.

However, one should not necessarily resort to such tricks. It is quite easy today to find decaffeinated coffee. But some people are prejudiced against this drink. They think that such coffee contains harmful substances. Earlier, methylene chloride, used in the 1980s to retrieve caffeine from coffee, caused concern. Some experts thought that it partially causes cancer, that is why it is not used nowadays.

At present the majority of coffee producers retrieve caffeine with the help of liquid carbon dioxide or steam. This technology entails no harmful substances. So, decaffeinated coffee drinkers can enjoy their favorite beverage without any apprehensions.

Source: http://english.pravda.ru/science/health/27-11-2007/101720-coffee-0

Two new medical studies suggest coffee is the latest substance which can help to prevent cancer

Two new medical studies suggest that coffee is the latest substance which can help to prevent cancer.

Scientists in Japan found that women who drink three or more cups a day can halve their risk of colon cancer; and researchers in the US concluded that combining drinking coffee with regular exercise can help to guard against skin cancer.

We are bombarded almost daily with new claims about what we should and should not eat and drink to keep us healthy, so who should we believe, and what is the right advice?

Video Link ->

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1-PJgwkfB4

Source:

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/294996E3-0FD5-4CC4-863C-B80439356DEE.htm?FRAMELESS=true&NRNODEGUID=%7b294996E3-0FD5-4CC4-863C-B80439356DEE%7d